The Weston Family/Transcript
Opening Announcer: Tonight, on Supernanny: Jo meets the Westons. During her two weeks with the family, their terrorizing tot puts up a fight. Then Jo lays down the law. (Opening credits play) Submission reel The taxi drives down a sunny road full of fallen leaves. Jo opens her DVD player. Jo: Let's have a look. Fred: Hi, I'm Fred. Andrea: I'm Andrea. Fred: And we're the Westons. We have two children: Andrew who's 4, and Sean who's 11 months. Andrea: I'm a schoolteacher. Fred sells insurance for a living. (Younger picture of Andrea and Fred appears, followed by wedding picture.) Fred: Andrea and I met at church. Andrea: It was like at first sight. Definitely like. (Jo laughs.) Life without kids was being invited to dinners with no children. Fred: But now on the weekends, different lifestyle than it is now. Life with kids can be very difficult sometimes. (Footage of children screaming. Jo peers at the DVD player with concern.) Andrea: Supernanny, we need your help. We have our son, Andrew. He's got some issues. Andrew stomps toward a playmate, threatening to throw a large plastic container at her. Backed into a corner, the girl starts panicking and screaming. Andrea: It's painful for a mother to have a child who has a "reputation." We're like, we'll go play with friends. Who gets hurt? He always hurts the other kids. Playing with blocks on the floor with the girl, Andrew suddenly grabs the girls head and leans in close. Girl: No, DON'T DO IT! (Pushes Andrew away) Andrea (from other room): Andrew! Jo: What is he doing? Fred: Andrew does get a little rough with his brother. Andrew flips Sean over. While Sean is crying on the floor, Andrew runs at him and leaps over Sean, knocking him over on the way. Andrea: All the time he tortures his brother. We just don't know how to make him care. We put him on timeout, he marches right back out. "You go get in your room!" Jo: Andrew's behavior has to stop. Andrea: I get messages saying, "Call your daycare. Your kid is getting kicked out of daycare." It devastated me. (Footage of Andrew kicking cabinets, screaming and throwing things) I would love to find a preschool that could handle him, but I've called everywhere. Andrew: Poo-poo head! Jo: Oh, dear. Fred: Andrew at dinnertime: Always an experience. (Andrew cries at the table, lies on the chair and screams.) Andrea: He will refuse to eat dinner. Every night. Andrew (pushing a plate across the counter): I don't want it! (Cries. Jo blinks in disbelief.) Andrea: He has trouble sleeping. Fred: Andrew seems to want to come out of his bed at least four or five times a night. Andrea (as she puts Andrew back to bed): And Mommy is getting frustrated. Andrea: So please come to our house, Supernanny. And help us out. 'Cause we need you. Jo (closing DVD player): They definitely do need me! I'm on my way. The taxi drives up to the Weston Family home. Observation Jo knocks on the door. Andrew answers it. Jo bend down to greet him. Jo: Hello! Andrea (entering foyer): Hello. Jo: Hello! I'm Jo Frost, pleased to meet you. Andrea: How are you? I'm Andrea. This is Andrew. Jo: Hi, Andrew! Jo (interview): Today I met the Weston Family. Jo: Hi! Fred: Hi, Jo, I'm Fred. Nice to meet you. Jo: I'm Jo. Jo (interview): They were very warm and very inviting. Fred (interview): For someone who has a lot of knowledge I think she seemed really young. Andrea (interview): She is very friendly and young at heart. I can tell. Jo: I'm going to watch and observe you today. I know you've got some family issues that need to be addressed. But just go ahead as if I weren't here and um, I'll ask you some questions later. Andrea: OK. Fred: All right. Sean sits in a highchair. Jo: Who's this little one? Andrea: This is baby Sean! Jo: Hello! (Touches Sean's hand) Hello, sweetie! Andrea: Are you going to be shy? Jo (interview): When I first meet a family, I go in, and I take mental notes and I observe the dynamics of their family. Observation begins Jo (interview): My observation began watching Mom and the boys play in the backyard. Andrew happily sprays a garden hose into the air, then starts spraying a wagon with the water. Andrea: OK, Andrew, you're done. Andrew? You're done washing now. Put your-- Turn off the water. That's it. It's still early for water. Andrew: I'm cleaning. Andrea: You're done. Turn off the water. Andrew: I'm just cleaning! Andrea: OK, I'm turning it off because you don't want to listen to me. (Turns off water. Andrew looks at the empty garden hose in horror.) Now he's gonna go into his mode. (He starts turning the wagon over.) Andrew: Ugh! (Hits the wagon) I just want to play with it again! (Runs off and knocks a chair over. He also throws a shovel and a slide onto the grass.) Jo (interview): He was throwing chairs, and knocking things over. Just because Mom turned the water off. Andrea: Uh-uh. Excuse me? (Andrew throws another chair and starts dashing through the patio to the grass.) No. No. Stop. Stop! Stop, and think. (Andrew runs away.) Andrew, I'm not chasing after you. You come here. I want to talk to you. Andrew, if I have to come over there, you're going to be in your room on a long timeout. I want you to come over here. Andrew: No! (Cries, dashes across the yard) Poo poo, poo poo! You go away, poo poo. Andrea: Come here. Now. Andrew: OK, poo poo. Come here, poo poo. Andrea: Don't you talk that way to me. That is very mean. Jo (interview): Andrew's temperament needs to be put in check. And Mom's letting him get away with it completely. Andrew's scary playdate The doorbell rings. Fred opens the door to greet Anaya and her parents. Title card reads, "Anaya & her parents - Family friends." Anaya's dad: Hello! Fred: Come on in. Andrew and Anaya play with crayons at a small table. Jo looks on. Jo (interview): Andrew had a friend around to play, and it gave me a really good opportunity to watch him with other children around. Andrew: A... Anaya: Ooh! He colored on the table! (Close-up of Andrew drawing on the table) Jo (interview): They were drawing together, and playing. Andrew: Anaya drew on the table! Anaya: No, I didn't. Look. Jo (interview): It started off OK, but it very quickly led to his little friend running off crying to her parents. Andrew leans over and starts coloring in stabbing motions on Anaya's paper. Anaya: Hey! Aaah! (Picks up her ruined drawing and stares at it in horror, cries and walks away) Anaya's dad: What happened? Anaya: He colored on mine! Anaya's dad: Just tell him not to. Say, "Do not do that, Andrew." As soon as Anaya returns to the table with her paper, Andrew leans over and starts coloring on it. Anaya (waving her hands at Andrew): Aah! Aaah! AAAH!! (Cries, picks up her paper and runs away) Mommy! Jo shakes her head at the camera. Jo (interview): Andrew's behavior got worse. And he started to intimidate this poor little girl. Andrew and Anaya sit on the floor, playing with blocks. Anaya starts picking up blocks and small toys to play with. Andrew: Don't do that! Don't build that! (He snatches one toy away as Anaya picks up another. He suddenly leans in and grabs her face.) DON'T BUILD THAT! Anaya shoves his hands away. She stares at Andrew with a stunned look on her face. Andrea: Andrew! Andrew: Don't throw them-- (Anaya starts crying loudly. Her mom, Amy, comes in to pick her up. She cries louder.) ''Don't throw them. '' '' '''Amy:' Andrew. Hey. We're gonna play together. (To Jo) She was trying to build, and he didn't want her to build, and grabbed her (mimics the face-grabbing), like really close to him. Jo (interview): Andrew grabbed this little girl's face, and started pulling at her. And she was so scared, and it is this kind of behavior that needs to stop. Anaya stands, watching Andrew on the floor with his blocks. Title card reads, "10 minutes later." Without warning, Andrew savagely throws a block at Anaya. She runs away. Jo (interview): 10 minutes later, he was acting up again. Andrea '''(taking Andrew by the hand): Andrew, you go to your room. That's not nice. The worst timeout routine ever Jo follows Andrea and Andrew upstairs to Andrew's room. '''Jo (interview): Finally Andrea steps in, and she takes Andrew for timeout in his bedroom. What a place! It's where he sleeps and plays. I don't think it's a good idea to place any child in their bedroom for discipline. Andrea: Three minutes. I'll be back. (Andrew starts crying.) You think about it, and I'll come back and get you. Andrew: No... (Andrea closes the door.) Mama! Andrea '''(talking through door): Andrew, I'm not gonna-- No. I'm gonna let go of the door until you sit down. When you're sitting down I'll let go of the door. Jo looks very annoyed at this exchange. She rolls her eyes and stoically stare at the ceiling with an unusually blank look on her face, as if willing herself to not react to the stupidity of Andrea's behavior. '''Jo: How long could you be standing outside here? Andrea: Half an hour. Jo: Holding that door. Andrea: On and off. Andrew: No! Andrea: Are you sitting down? OK, I'll open it. You're sitting down? Andrew: Waah, ah hah! Andrea: I'm sorry, you're not allowed to throw things. You're in timeout. I'll leave the door open, but don't come out. (Andrew cries, inches toward door) You want me to get Dad? Then you stay here. Ah! Do not step out. Jo (interview): Mom has got this timeout completely wrong! This is crazy. Andrew runs out to Jo and Andrea in the hallway. Andrea carries him back to his room. Andrea: I'm going to do step number two with you because you're not listening. She sits on the bed with Andrew in her lap. She locks her arms over Andrew's chest to prevent him from leaving. He is still crying. Jo looks in from the doorway. Jo: What's step number two, Andrea? Andrea: You hold him for four minutes. Jo (to camera): He's getting kissed and cuddled at the same time he's meant to be on discipline. (Rolls eyes) So no wonder Andrew behaves the way he is. Andrew: No, I don't want to go! Andrea: OK, you can stay here then. (Leaves room and follows Andrea to kitchen. He throws himself on the floor and cries loudly.) Jo (to camera): So Andrea has lost control of the discipline here. He's got too much control, and poor little Andrew doesn't even know what to do with it. Andrea (to Andrew as he lies crying on the floor): Hey, Heart Attack Boy, can you get up? Jo (to camera): So no wonder Andrew gets away with murder! Announcer: Coming up on Supernanny: Andrew turns bedtime into a nightmare. And the Westons get an earful from Jo. When Supernanny returns. Dinnertime Fred; Have a bite. You haven't even touched your hot dog yet. Andrea: You've got to eat your hot dog, Andrew. (Andrew cries over his food.) Jo (interview): Andrew's very picky about what he eats. He's very fussy about the quantity they eat. Andrea: Andrew. Stop licking it and eat it. (Andrew continues to slowly lick the ketchup off the hot dog in a most unappetizing manner.) Andrea (interview): If he's not being served his favorite meals, he will just refuse to eat his dinner. Andrea: We're almost done. We're gonna get down, and you'll be stuck here. Well, are we done, Dad? We're done. OK, Andrew, stay up there. Fred (leaving table): Stay there, Andrew. Don't get down. Andrea: Get back in your chair now. Sean: (coughs and fusses while he's waiting for Andrea to feed him.) Andrea: (gently to Sean.) I'm getting to you little guy. Sean: (coughs and fusses again.) Andrea: (comfortingly to Sean.) I'm getting to you. Andrew: (screams at Anaya.) Don't build it yet! Jo: (to Andrew and Sean.) Night night. Andrew: (rudely to Jo.) Go home. Jo: (snickers.) He's just told me to go home.